1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording tape cartridge accommodating, within a case, a single reel on which is wound a recording tape such as a magnetic tape used as a recording medium mainly for computers or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, magnetic tape cartridges are known which accommodate, within a case, a single reel on which is wound a magnetic tape which is used as a data recording medium for computers or the like. A leader member, which is a leader block, a leader pin or a leader tape, is provided at the distal end of the magnetic tape. A pull-out means provided at a drive device pulls the leader member out from the magnetic tape cartridge, and winds the magnetic tape, which is fixed to the leader member, on a take-up reel of the drive device.
A reel gear is formed in an annular shape at the center of the bottom surface of the reel which emerges from a hole formed in the bottom surface of the magnetic tape cartridge. Due to a driving gear provided at a rotating shaft of the drive device meshing with the reel gear, the reel is driven to rotate. By rotating the reel of the magnetic tape cartridge and the take-up reel of the drive device synchronously, data can be recorded onto the magnetic tape or data recorded on the magnetic tape can be played back (read out).
Usually, a large number of such magnetic tape cartridges are accommodated and stored in an accommodating rack called a library. The rear end sides of both side walls of a desired magnetic tape cartridge are grasped by a grasping means having a robot hand or the like, and the desired magnetic tape cartridge is removed from an accommodating portion of the library. By loading the magnetic tape cartridge as is into one of a plurality of drive devices, data is recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge, or data recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge is played back.
A card-like memory board, which stores various types of information such as the recording capacity, the recording format and the like of a magnetic tape cartridge, is provided at the inner side of the rear wall of the magnetic tape cartridge, in order for the magnetic tape cartridge which has been removed from the library to be smoothly loaded into one of the drive devices. Namely, the various types of information stored on the memory board are read by a reading device provided at the robot hand or by a reading/writing device provided at the drive device. The drive device, which can record data into that magnetic tape cartridge or which can playback (read out) recorded data from that magnetic tape cartridge, is recognized in advance by a control device or the like such that there is no loss in the operation of the grasping means such as a robot hand or the like.
A conventional magnetic tape cartridge 150 is illustrated in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the direction of arrow P is the front direction. As shown in FIG. 8, a memory board 144 is disposed so as to be inclined by a predetermined angle at the inner side of a rear wall 152 of the magnetic tape cartridge 150. Because the robot hand is structured to grip portions near the rear ends of the left and right side walls of the magnetic tape cartridge 150, a reading device 140 accesses the memory board 144 from the rear surface (rear wall 152) side of the magnetic tape cartridge 150. Due to a bucket (see FIG. 7) being lowered, the magnetic tape cartridge 150 which is loaded in a drive device is completely loaded within the drive device. Thus, a reading/writing device 142 accesses the memory board 144 from a bottom surface 154 side of the magnetic tape cartridge 150.
Accordingly, the memory board 144 is disposed at an angle of elevation of 45°, as seen in side view, in order to be able to be accessed from two directions which are from the rear surface (rear wall 152) side and from the bottom surface 154 side. When the memory board 144 is disposed in such a position, the memory board 144 can be accessed (read) by electromagnetic waves transmitted and received from and by the reading device 140 which is disposed at the rear surface (the rear wall 152) side. Further, the memory board 144 can be accessed (read and written) by electromagnetic waves transmitted and received from and by the reading/writing device 142 which is disposed at the bottom surface 154 side. Note that the reading/writing device 142 is a device which can carry out not only reading of information, but writing of information as well. However, depending on the drive device, there are cases in which only the reading device 140 is provided.
In any case, because the memory board 144 can be accessed in a non-contact manner, it is provided within the case. Namely, the case of the magnetic tape cartridge 150 is assembled by, after the memory board 144 has been provided at the interior, joining an upper case 146 and a lower case 148 by attaching screws, ultrasonic welding, or the like.
However, with such a structure, when the magnetic tape cartridge is to be disposed of, if even only the memory board is to be removed from the case for recycling, a problem arises in that the memory board cannot be easily removed. Namely, in order to remove the memory board, the case of the magnetic tape cartridge must be disassembled. In particular, when the case is assembled by joining the upper case and the lower case by ultrasonic welding or the like, the memory board cannot be removed unless the case is destroyed. Thus, the operation for removing the memory board is extremely troublesome.